Bitten
by Prototypical Nonconformist
Summary: “I…I’m bleeding.” he stutters.“Yes, you’re bleeding. It tends to happen to people when their skin is broken.” I snap so what if he’s bleeding? It happens. Just because you’re Edward Cullen doesn’t mean you don’t have blood!
1. His Jacket

**Ok, this is my first multi-chapter fic. So be nice.  
And yes, I don't own Edward, Bella, Mike, or any of the other characters from Twilight. But I do own Bethany, Madeline, Chandler, and whoever else pops up in this little story. Enoy!**

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Bitten

Chapter one: His Jacket

Math and I have never quite gotten along, but recently I have found myself running to room 207 instead of away from it. I'm almost sure of the reason behind my recent shift in behavior: Edward Cullen. Now, I know what your thinking, "Edward Cullen? Isn't he with that Bella girl?" And believe me; I would know this better than anyone else in this school. No, I'm not stalking Edward Cullen, and no, I do not have any elaborate plots for breaking them up. I just seem to have the worst possible timing in the history of the world.

I constantly walk in on romantic conversations and heated make-out secessions in between almost every class. It's getting to be more than my heart can stand. So I have decided that the best thing for me to do would be to ignore him. But here I am, wasting my energy, sprinting through the pouring rain to room 207.

I walk into the class panting like a fat dog in summer. My sodden curls stick to my forehead as I slowly make my way to my desk. He isn't here yet. I bet he's sucking face with Bella behind the building. And he's probably holding her in his strong arms… intertwining his long white fingers with her hair...Shut up brain. I ring the rain water out of my hair and take my seat, distracting myself by sketching on the back of some useless worksheet.

"Do you even _own _an umbrella" My friend Madeline asks, sitting in Edward's chair.

"Yeah, somewhere…" I reply, attempting to blow my dripping bangs out of my face.

Madeline laughs when the strand continues to float above my forehead then falls back down right in the same place it was before. I give up and flick the strand away with my hand.

"Oops!" she mumbles glancing over my shoulder, "Lover-boy is here I'd better go"

I grab her hand as she stands to leave and give her a pleading look "No stay!" I whine, but she just blows me a kiss and walks off.

Edward takes his seat next to me, glancing sideways at me when I fail to greet him with my usual smile and wave.

"Hello, Bethany" he says in his romantic and undeniably sexy voice; the one he uses to make _Bella_ swoon. Not me.

I occupy myself by adding to the sketch I had started not to long ago. I bow my head in a mute salutation. He gives me a once over, eyeing my damp state with an air of amusement.

As Mr. K starts teaching, I begin to dry off. I can feel the heat being sucked out of my skin as the rain water evaporates into the dry classroom air. It doesn't help much that the place is air-conditioned. Why the school keeps it on in the middle of November is beyond me. I hug my body and try to keep some warmth in. Goosebumps crawl up my arms and down the back of my neck.

"You're going to get hypothermia" Edward whispers, pulling his jacket off the back of his chair and holding it out to me.

"I'm fine" I reply suppressing chills that threaten to ripple over my entire body. This boy is making it quitedifficult for me to ignore him!

"Your lips are turning blue" he sighs, continuing to push the jacket on me.

The chills brake loose and run up my spine. My muscles tremble uncontrollably and I'm sure I've lost my irritated expression. I take the jacket from him and mumble some kind of recognition for his action.

The corners of his lips turn up in some sort of strange smile/smirk hybrid, as I drape the jacked over my quivering shoulders. If he wasn't so damn attractive, I would honestly _hate _Edward Cullen.

I hear him chuckle and look at him, puzzled. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing" He replies quickly.

I think about him and Bella, and how I can never have something like that. I will never be as wonderful as Bella. Bella is perfect.

I think I hear him mumble "hardly," but then again, I can't be so sure.

I try to concentrate on what Mr. K has to say, but the smell of Edward's jacket is just so amazing that it soon becomes impossible to concentrate on _anything_ else. Like, if someone offered me a free ticket to go see Justin Timberlake, I probably wouldn't notice. Class ends sooner than I had hoped. (Which is odd, because usually I just sit and beg the clock to move faster.) I reluctantly strip off Edward's jacket and hand it back to him.

"Oh, you can keep it" He says, making his way towards the door.

"But then _you're_ going to get hypothermia" I mumble

"Don't worry, I wont. I promise."

I make my way slowly out of the classroom and toward 115, English. I sit down just as Mrs. Vester begins. The first word doesn't pass her lips before my mind has wandered to somewhere far away. I slip into a dull dreamy version of some tropical island were everything is prefect and grades and money don't matter. A place where natives dance with strangers and no one cares who you are or where you're going. I imagine myself dancing with Edward, his hands around my waist, our faces so close I can almost taste him. My flowing beach dress dances two steps behind us, leading the wind in a strange fluid tango. I smile and laugh as he twirls me and whispers sweet nothings in my ear.

Something slams against my head and I remember where I am. The other kids laugh as I lazily rub my eyes and look, glass-eyed at Mrs. Vester's sagging wrinkled face.

"What's out there," She points to the window across the room with a red tipped sausage-finger, "that has you so interested?"

I know she doesn't really want me to answer, but she asked.

"Freedom." I answer, not cocky or anything, just honest.

Mrs. Vester turns her short stubby finger to the door. "Out!" she wails, glaring at me as I collect my things and glide out of the room.

I pull out a pencil and a piece of blank paper and begin drawing. Long sweeping arcs across the paper that make me forget who I am again. I just concentrate on the drawing in front of me, but I don't get far before my mind returns again.

Another hour of sitting out in the hall and drawing, it's amazing I maintain a passing grade in her class.

"Hey Bethany!" A familiar voice chimes. I look up to see baggy jeans, a dark hoddie with some logo on the front, and the eyes that have recently taken Edwards place along the margins of my paper.

"Mike!" I jump up, and hug him around the neck. Then stand back and look at him.

"You're not still sick, Right?" I have to stand on my toes to place my hand on his forehead. He feels warm against my cool skin. I'm glad hes back; I miss him a lot when ever he's sick. Being without a boyfriend as a distraction for two weeks is extremely difficult for someone as obsessive as me.

"No, but are you?" He takes my hand from his forehead and holds it in his. The warmth is amazing, my fingers become less stiff and my palms return to their usual pink.

He slides his warm hands up my frozen arms. Even Edward's jacket can't warm me like this. My heart flutters when he finally wraps his arms around me and pulls me into him. All thoughts of dancing with Edward on warm sunny beaches are erased from my mind and all I can think about is how wonderful it feels to be held by Mike again.

"I've never met anyone whose body temperature is as cold as yours." He mumbles, leaning in to kiss me. I flush and turn my head, his lips brush my ear before he finally notices. I have a thing against PDAs, being on the receiving end of heartbreak a few to many times can make one afraid of a little publicity.

"Mm, whose is this?" He asks, tugging on the collar of Edward's jacket. Shit! I forgot to take it off! I look away and flick my hair in between my face and his.

"No one's" I reply. I probe my brain for some way to avoid the subject.

"Well, it's definitely not yours. You don't own a winter jacket."

Damn him for being so observant! I make a face then look at him, smiling innocently.

"I found it?" Well, I tried…

Mike lets go of me. I look up at him, blushing a bit brighter than before.

"Come on, I wont be mad. Who gave it to you?"

I look away again. How can I do this to Mike? To myself? I sniff, the guilt building up and overflowing in the form of tears.

"Its Edward Cullen's" I tell my shoes. Almost hoping he doesn't hear me.

He's silent; which means he heard me.

"Oh." He says calmly. His face relaxes into a blank stare. It scares me. I don't think I have ever longed for his smile more than right now.

I rip off the jacket and throw it across the hall. Then clasp my arms around him wiping my tears on his sweatshirt. He thinks I'm cheating on him with Edward! Just the thought makes me hate myself even more. He stands stiff for the longest second I have ever felt. Then reluctantly wraps his arms around me

"Are you crying?" he laughs, lifting my chin and smiling at me. I smile back. Mike is ok! He's not going to hate me forever!

"It's all right, it's all right! I mean, _he_ gave it to _you_, right? It would be different if you asked for it."

I sniffed. It was true, Edward _had _pushed it onto me, and therefore _I _wasn't doing anything wrong, unless keeping yourself warm is suddenly against the laws of dating.

"I should be heading back…" Mike mumbles. Something is still bugging him, but I let him leave.

I feel horrible. I can't help that my crush on Edward Cullen involves more emotion than I have used in my entire life. Mike will never come close to how I feel about Edward. At least, not until I admit that he is just a conceded asshole who isn't worth a second of my time. And when that day arrives, I will passionately kiss Mike on the roof of the school for everyone to see.

"Wait!" I yell. He stops and turns to face me, confusion etched on every feature. Discomfort builds in my chest as I run after him. I stop right in front of him staring into his icy blue eyes.

"Yes?" Mike asks impatiently.

"I... um... I-I love you"


	2. Blood Sugar

**OH!! My reviews are so cute!! They made me so happy!! I was going on for like an hour about how much I love you guys to my friend after I read them all.**

**DrkHrtWritr27****: You live up to your screen name, my dear. Glad you like it. Be online more often and you may get a sneak peek at the next chapter!**  
**Sanity Is Out****: love love love love!  
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**  
So after I posted the first chapter I was positive no one was going to review. I went to eat Lunch and when I came back I had FIVE!! But, for some reason it refused to let me read any of them! After about an hour of crying, swearing and trying to get my friends to do it for me, I finally got to read them. By then I had nine, and I was a very happy girl. **

So heres chapter two, Enjoy!

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Chapter two: Blood Sugar

I get home from school and run to my room, muttering a quick hello to my mom who is lounging on the couch watching some soap opera and nibbling a slim-fast energy bar. I throw myself onto my bed and take a deep breath. I hate not being happy at school, so I save all my teenage angst for home. Grabbing my speakers and slamming my ipod in; I begin to feel my stomach churn. Konstantine by Something Corporate flows though the room. I look up. Maybe I should change it to something happier and put the crying off until my mom is out of the house, or at least asleep… or maybe not. I pick up the phone and call Mike, hanging it up after one ring. I'm a horrible girlfriend!

I change the song and something by the Beastie Boys pulses through the speakers. I grab my sketchbook and stare at a blank page for about ten minutes before giving up and start my homework.

Three hours later, I finally finish my homework. I sit on my bed and pick up the phone again. I dial Chandler's number and listen to it ring. One… two… three...

"Hello?" she mumbles.

"Hey. It's Bethany. Did I wake you?" I ask, "Because if I did, and you'd rather go back to seep than talk to me, I'd understand." Wow, I don't think I've been this insecure since seventh grade.

"No no. It's fine. What's up?" she asks, concerned now.

"Mike thinks I'm cheating on him" I growl. I wonder if that means I'll be over it soon. I mean, the grief has worn off, and anger is much easier to deal with.

"With whom?" Of course, that's going to be the first thing she asks.

"Edward" I mumble.

"Edward Cullen?" she asks, "Don't worry about it. He's probably just upset because he liked Bella when she started dating him, and he doesn't want that to happen again. Plus, you both really like each other, so what's there to worry about?"

"Well," I pause, "I was kind of… I mean…I _was_ wearing Edwards's jacket. But he gave it to me, so it's not my fault!" I say, probably reassuring myself of my innocence, not Chandler.

"Well that complicates things a little bit…"

"Yeah…"

Our conversation continues for a while. Chandler tries to me laugh, to distract me from thoughts of Mike. Eventually the call waiting interrupts our giggle fest.

"Hold on, someone's on the other line" I say, still smiling.

"Actually, its getting kinda late. I should be getting to bed." She sounds tongue-tied, like she's afraid if she gets off the phone I'm going to commit suicide or something.

"Oh! Okay, good night, don't let the bed bugs bite!" I make sure to be extra happy, promising her that I will be all right once she hangs up.

I hang up the phone and wait a few seconds before it rings again.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bethany, its Mike" His voice sounds odd; I can't really tell why.

"I know." I answer coolly, "What up?"

"Uh…" I can almost feel his tension. "I wanted to say that… um.. I love you too.

And I'm sorry for getting so worked up over that jacket thing…" he sighs, obviously very happy to get that off of his chest.

My breath stops in my throat the guilt makes another appearance. Was I really that mad at this adorable kid for six straight hours?

"Bethany?" He asks. I bet he thinks I fainted or something.

"Yeah, I'm still here…just… in shock…" I whisper, clutching my chest. I try and calm my over-exited heart.

He laughs, it's an actual laugh this time. Not that weird airy thing that he dose when it's all awkward and stuff.

"I'm glad you're back to normal." I sigh

"Yeah, me too."

I wake up in the morning with my phone stuck to my face. I peal it off and hang it up. Walking to the bathroom, I rub my cheek which currently resembles the keypad of my phone. I grumble, vaguely wondering how long the indentation will last. I glance at the clock, 7:00, which gives me 15 whole minutes to get dressed and drive to school. Fuck. I shower quickly and pull on a pair of jeans, the beater I wore yesterday, and a hoodie. I throw my damp hair into a bun at the top of my head and run out to my car, skipping breakfast. I speed down the street, almost driving past the school in my hurry. I jump out of my car run through the parking lot, but I have to turn around before I get to the front doors because I forgot my backpack. The cold wind bypasses my sweatshirt and stings my arms.

The school day passes in a blur of color. I don't even remember ever walking into the school, yet here I am. I head to my last class of the day, an unknown nervous feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. The Chemistry room always smells like formaldehyde, but today it's overpowering. I gag, making my way to my seat. We have a sub today and she speaks so quickly I can only catch half of what she says. She explains the lab and assigns partners in record time. I'm with Edward Cullen, won-der-ful. He sits down next to me. My stomach rolls again sending tremors down my spine.

"You know what were doing?" I whisper. Crossing my trembling fingers and begging whatever divine force that governs us to let me not puke all over Edward.

"Yeah, you feel ok?"

I attempt to lift my chin to nod, but I can't seem to do it. My head spins and I fall forward into the black table top, but Edward catches me before I can get a concussion. He says something to the teacher and carries me out of the room.

"I'm still conscious…" I mutter, trying to stay that way.

"Barely." He laughs. I look at him though half-lidded eyes. He smiles at me, which makes my stomach attempt a back flip. I vaguely wonder why I haven't actually thrown up yet when another dry heave contorts my body.

"Are you cold?" He asks. I then realize my body is shaking along with the nausea and light-headedness. Do I even have anything to throw up?

I relax into his chest. I may as well take full advantage of being carried around by a _very_ hot and obviously _very_ strong guy. His body is cold, and I feel bad for taking his winter jacket.

"Are_ you_ cold?" the words roll off my lazy tongue and my vision blurs. He laughs, but I don't know why.

I guess we finally made it to the nurse because I can hear voices.

"Is she ok?"

"What happened?"

"She's so pale!"

He places me on a plastic covered table and warm fingers press firmly against my neck. My stomach is still turning and I am shaking violently.

"When was the last time you ate?" Someone asks. The fingers taking my pulse begin to hurt me.

"6…" Wait, was the last time I ate anything really yesterday?... Yeah, I guess it was. "Yesterday evening."

"Well there's your problem."

Three glasses of water and a box of cookies later, I sit happily on the little paper-covered table. I smile. I can hold myself up now! It's so odd when something you so easily take for granted is gone; you become so helpless and wonder why you never thought of it before.

"Why are you happy all of a sudden?" Edward asks. I grin wider. He stayed with me through this whole traumatic ordeal. He was the one who forced the Girl Scout cookies into my mouth when I refused to eat them. It is going to take me _forever_ to burn off those tagalongs.

"I can sit up without loosing my vision now!" I sing, swinging my legs happily. I wish I could be excited about little things like holding up my own bodyweight more often.

He laughs. I start on my fourth cup of water, sipping a little at a time. I hold the Styrofoam cup in my lap and glance at the clock.

"We should be getting back." I say sadly. My head spins when I hop off of the bench, and I have to use Edward for support.

"Take it easy!" the nurse grunts, "You've only been fully functional for five minutes."

Edward wraps a supportive arm around my body. I think I'm going to faint again.

"Nah, I'm ok." I mutter, removing his hand from my waist. He just shrugs and leads me out of the room.

We walk in silence for a while. I almost wish Edward wouldn't treat me as well as he does. It makes it so much harder for me to stay loyal. I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't notice the sudden change in the weather. I jump when an abnormally vicious gust of wind rattles the large window we happen to be walking by.

"You're easily frightened." Edward says. Although the amusement you would expect from a statement like that isn't there. I defend myself anyway.

"I am not!" I whine playfully, "I was just surprised! That's all!"

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. But soon I have to cover the smile that threatens to take over my face with a childish pout. He starts to chuckle, but stops. Approaching footsteps catch my attention. Something tells me they belong to Mike.

"Come here." He hisses quietly, grabbing my wrist roughly and pulling me toward him.

"…the fuck?" I mumble to myself. Edward continues to pull me into an empty room. The lights are off, which makes everything even more awkward and confusing.

"What the hell do you think you're do-?" Edward clamps an icy hand over my mouth, hushing me. Although his face is calm, the absurdness of the situation still pisses me off. I stare at the door, wondering what this would look like to someone else… Two obviously taken teenagers standing uncomfortably close in a dark, empty classroom.

I try to push Edward off of me but he is too strong. His cold hand presses harder over my mouth and another holds the side of my face. His eyes beg me to be silent. My body trembles with anger and I struggle fiercely against him. He doesn't move. I open my mouth and bite his hand as hard as I possibly can. He instinctively pulls back, pulling me with him. His pale skin breaks, but no blood flows from the wound. At least, not at first.


	3. Flipped

**I FINALLY GOT MY HOCKY SWEATSHIRT!! I've been waiting for it for like three weeks! It says "Girls Ice hocky 2006-2007" on the front and on the back it has a HUGE number 18(my number) and below it, it says "Knighthawks"(our team) and its white with maroon writing!! It's so SWEET!** **I'm so happy!!! Plus I got on our schools LaCrosse team. I'm a very very happy girl today!!!**

**Now! My reviewers! I love you all! You make me so happy!**

**Sweetly Sarcastic: Um… I didn't really mean for Bethany to be like Bella. She won't be so much like her in later chapters. Anyways I like rambling, it makes me smile!**

**twilight.equals.life****: Edward's NOT cheating on Bella...**

**DrkHrtWritr27****: Just brag about it, why dontcha! Just kidding!! But no more reading chapters before I post them anymore! You have to wait like everyone else.**

**Elephantian****: Don't slaughter me, because if you do, there won't be anyone to finish this, now will there?**

**Edward Lover for Life****: Eeeeeee!! You make me so happy!!**

**rachel1616****: You'll see, you'll see, you'll see!!! Be patient, and all your questions will be answered… at least, they will be if I do my job right. **

**Love me some Edward****: Ahh, You just wait. **

**DarkOne29****: Thanks, I'm glad you like Bethany and I'm sure she is too! You'll see what happens soon enough.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter three: Flipped

I'm not sure weather it's the intensity of the situation or the fact that my body is now teeming with adrenaline, but whatever it is makes the moment before Edward starts to bleed so painfully long.

"I…I'm bleeding." he stutters, staring at his hand in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I just wanted you off of me!" He doesn't seem to understand me, because he just gives me a blank stare.

"I'm bleeding…" He repeats. I step toward him, taking his injured hand in mine. I pull a tissue off the teacher's desk and pump a little hand sanitizer onto it. There is no way I'm taking him to the nurse for an injury that_ I_ gave him. I could be suspended or something!

"We have to clean it or it'll get infected." I whisper. I hold the tissue for him to see, "This might sting a little."

I press the tissue onto the wound. He hisses and tries to jerk his hand back, but I hold it firmly in place.

"S-hhhh." I coo, gently dabbing the bite. My maternal instincts kick in and I clean the blood off of his hand. I press a new tissue over the cut to try and stop the bleeding.

"I'm bleeding." He says again, after standing silently for a while.

"Yes, you're bleeding. That tends to happen to people when their skin is broken." I snap. So what if he's bleeding? It happens to everyone. Just because you're Edward Cullen doesn't mean you don't have blood!

That seems to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. He shakes his head slightly and looks at the bright orange carpet.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not all that fond of… of blood" He mumbles.

I roll my eyes. I glance at his hand, he has finally stopped bleeding. I pull an extremely large band aid from a drawer and stick it to his hand. He winces when I press down harder than I actually have to.

"Lies" I hiss, noticing the way he eyes the bloody tissue in the garbage can. I stare him down…er… up, seeing as I am quite a bit shorter than him. My icy blue eyes searching his for answers. He just stares right back.

"Bethany" he sings my name. "If you don't believe that, you would never believe the truth."

I laugh, "What? Are you actually…." I pause. What's something that doesn't bleed? "An animated corpse or something?"

He laughs at my stupidity; I guess I live up to my hair color.

"You're close." He smirks.

"Zombie?" I try.

"Sort of, but I think for my self."

I think for a second, as plausible as this idea is, I seriously doubt it. And if hes playing with me I will make sure to bite his hand _off_ next time. I open my mouth to speak then close it again quickly.

"Vampire?" I try

The smirk vanishes from his face, "You're not scared?"

"The hell I'm not!" I cry, almost laughing at the thought. Edward? A vampire? Yeah right! "But tell me, how long have you been mentally ill?"

Edward sighs heavily, looking at me through his eyelashes. I look back at him, crossing my arms over my chest. I raise an eyebrow at him and wait.

He opens his mouth, revealing two sets of brilliant white teeth, and two very long, very sharp canines.

He has _fangs?! _I stumble backward, gasping for breath. He smirks and stalks towards me. His eyes filled with lust and thirst, or whatever vampires feel. Fear grips my heart and pumps it violently. Thoughts swim through my head faster than I can think them.

"Ok, I believe you now" I pant.

I sit down on a desk to catch my breath. I think I'm going into shock, which is the last thing I need, especially since I just _came_ from the nurse. Edward steps toward me, a concerned expression on his now terrifying face. I'm sure he thinks my blood sugar is low again or something. Although that would be physically impossible because of all those damn tagalongs!

"Please, stay back a little."

His concerned expression morphs into one of self loathing.

I look at him apologetically, "Understand, I'm not scared of _you_. I just didn't believe in ghouls or ghosts or… or" I swallow the word, "vampires. You just flipped my world upside down and I don't know what to believe anymore."

He looks at me for a second, some unknown expression in the creases of his forehead.

I _should_ hate Edward Cullen. I should, but I don't.


	4. Love and Fear

**This is just a bit of Bethany and Mike fluff. Its cute. And the lovely Elephantian wrote a sisterstory to this called Bitten Edward GO READ IT!! RIGHT NOW!! THEN COME BACK AND READ THIS!!**

**Leelo77: Hah, thanks. Yes, I'm updating, right now!**

**KatreinB: You'll See!!!!!**

**Elephantian: You're amazing and I love you. I say that every chapter but its true!!**

**alwayssmile877: hah, thanks for not bugging me about the fangs. I'm glad you're into it; I try really hard to keep my readers reading.**

**Love me some Edward: You'll see.**

**Sweetly Sarcastic: Glad you liked that line! It's one of my personal favorites, too!**

**Edward Lover for Life: Well, first off, I'm glad you like it. I'm sure Edward wouldn't have told Bethany, but she guessed. And any man (Even a vampire man) would have to prove himself if a girl told him he was wrong!**

** Snaps for whoever gets where the chapter title is from. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Four: Love and Fear

For the next few days I avoid Edward Cullen like the plague, which seems to make Mike very happy.

"Close your eyes!" Mike whispers. It's our one-month anniversary, which I keep trying to tell Mike is no big deal, but he doesn't want to listen. All the times I have told him not to get me anything must have formed into assorted bills. Which in turn have gone into buying me a gift. Go figure.

"Why do you do this to me Mike?" I sigh, "I told you not to get me anything!" He knows I don't want anything, but I guess he will use any excuse to make me feel like a princess.

"_You_ are my gift." he says smugly. I make a disgusted face he laughs. Mike swiftly leans foreword and places a quick kiss on my forehead. I open my mouth to protest but he just looks at me and I shut it again.

"Now close your eyes" I sigh and do as commanded. I don't wait for more than a second before he speaks again

"Ok, you can look!"

Mike's lips stretch into a huge smile. In his hand is a tiny black box. He opens the lid and I gasp. Inside is the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen, but its beauty mostly comes from the fact that the boy I'm head over heals for bought it for me.

A single white-gold heart with a small diamond at the bottom hangs crooked from a delicate silver chain.

Mike!" I cry, sounding like one of the women from the Soap Operas my mother watches, "It's gorgeous!" I run up and hug him around the neck. "I just hope you didn't spend too much on me."

"Never too much" he whispers in my ear, "Hold your hair up, I want to see how it looks on you."

It takes him a few tries, but eventually he clasps the necklace around my neck. He stands back to admire his gift.

"Beautiful." He says smiling.

"What?" I twist the chain around my fingers, "The necklace or me?"

"Both."

I giggle. Ugh, I'm such a sap! He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into him.

"Happy one-month anniversary." He sings

"You're horrible, I hope you know that." I mumble into his chest

"Just doing my job." He walks me to my next class, kissing me on the cheek before leaving. I blush vibrant red and keep my head down. I hate it when he does that!

I walk into the science room and take my seat.

"It says that Bethany and Edward didn't finish the experiment." The new sub says, squinting at the sheet of paper in front of him. "Who are Bethany and Edward?"

I stand up, dejected.

"Yeah, that's us" I mumble. I walk slowly to the lab, trying to keep my heart rate steady.

Edward sits across the table. I keep my eyes on the test tube in front of me, fingering the heart around my neck. We don't talk, except to tell each other measurements. My throat is tight and I'm having a very hard time trying to keep myself from crying.

Edward looks up, asking me if I'm alright. I don't answer, attempting to keep a lid on the hysteria that is currently threatening my grade in both Math and Science. I didn't lie to him when I told him he doesn't scare me. Because he doesn't, he _terrifies _me.

"You're easily frightened," He looks at me sadly, like he just read my thoughts. Wait… Vampires can't read minds, can they?

"Well not all of them" he answers, measuring the temperature of the water in the beaker, "but I can."

I can feel the color drain from my face. The fear builds up in my chest. You can hear _everything_ I think? I don't bother saying it out loud. People are already beginning to think I'm insane.

He nods "Only when I'm listening." His voice is barely a whisper, which creeps me out even further.

And how often is that? My hands are shaking so much I can barely hold the test tube.

"Eh, it depends on the day. I listen to you mostly when you're drawing or daydreaming," He looks up, as though trying to remember some of the things I've thought, "You have the most interesting way of looking at the world."

I begin to feel sick again. Holding my head in my hands I mumble an assortment of profanities.

"Don't be embarrassed!" he chuckles, "It's not like you don't vocalize most of your thoughts anyways."

If looks could kill Edward Cullen would be a pile of ash at my feet.

"How far away do I have to be before you're not to be able to read my thoughts anymore?" I hiss quietly. My heart begins racing faster. I'm not sure it's such a good idea to snap at a vampire.

He smiles smugly "About four miles. Give or take."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

I spend the rest of science class trying to keep my self from having an anxiety attack and staying thought free. This is an extremely difficult task, especially when you're thinking about not thinking. Every once in a while my mind begins to wander, and I can feel Edward probing my brain. I think about going to the bathroom to try and get a little privacy, but then I remember he would still hear me.

I am relieved once class is finally over. I rush out of the room, leaving Edward to clean up the lab. Eh, he'll survive. I rush out of the school to find Mike leaning against my silver Impala.

"Hey, babe." He smiles, and pops his collar.

"Oh, aren't you hot." I mumble glumly, not in the mood for any of Mike's absurdity right now.

He immediately stops and grabs my hand.

"What's the matter?" He asks, tilting my chin up so I'm looking into his eyes.

I look away, fumbling with my keys.

"I wanna go home." I sniff. As much as I hate crying in front of people, I can't help it now. Fear is eating me from the inside out, beginning with my sanity. He looks at me for a second, then smiles.

"Okay, I'll meet you at your house."

Either everyone decided to walk home today, or I am paying more attention to the road then I think I am. Because I make it to my street without a scratch. I pull up into the driveway and sit, unable to unbuckle myself, let alone actually get out of the car and walk to the front door.

I hear a car door slam behind me. Mike runs up to my window to find a trembling mass of flesh where his girlfriend sat a moment ago.

"You okay, honey?" he asks, helping me out of my car.

I shake my head. "I don't feel so good" I lie. "I think I may be getting sick."

"Let's hope you aren't getting what I had" he says, helping me into the house.

"Hey Mrs. Johnson, Bethany says she's not feeling too good. So is it okay if I stay here a while to make her comfortable?"

My mom likes Mike more than she liked any of my other boyfriends. Probably because he's the most civil.

"Of course you can!" She smiles "What's wrong, Angel-face?"

My mom insists on asking me this whenever I feel ill. She seems to think that by asking me this she can actually do something to help.

"Head, stomach, chills, the works." I mumble. Leaning on Mike

"Go up to your room and sleep," she advises.

"On my way." I'm not much of a talker when I'm going insane.

Mike puts me on his back and carries me up the stairs and into my room.

"Your so small!" he says, jumping a bit to make sure I don't slip off.

I don't bother arguing that fact. I think 5' 2" is a perfect height, but some people seem to think that makes me very small.

He sits me on my bed and pulls the blankets over my trembling body. I can't help it; fat tears begin rolling down my cheeks. I shiver, despite the warmth of his hands on my face. I

"What's wrong with you today?" He laughs, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. "Don't tell me its 'that time of the month' again."

I shake my head and almost smile.

"No, nothing like that. I've just felt pretty gross all day. I'm sorry we can't go out to dinner like you planned." I roll onto my side and rest my head on Mike's chest, listening to his heart beat. My favorite sound in the world.

"Well, we're still spending time together aren't we?" he asks, kissing me softly on the lips. I am okay with it now, because no one can see us. Unless, of course, Edward is slithering his way into my privet moments too.

"You're bed is huge!" Mike muses. I look at him and laugh, but nothing really comes out

"You look exhausted." He says, stroking my hair. "Take a nap. You'll probably feel better when you wake up."

I close my eyes and relax. The fear of being eaten by Edward still gnawing at the edges of my mind. I didn't ever realize I had fallen asleep until Mike wakes me up.

"Mmm, what?" I mumble, opening my eyes wearily.

"Dinner time." He answers, helping me out of my bed.

My mother made me a bowl of cambells chicken noodle soup, and ordered a pizza for her and Mike. I eat slowly, enjoying the way the soup feels in my empty stomach. Mike leaves after dinner, kissing me goodbye right in front of my mother. So now I'm alone, with nothing to distract me from Edward, again.


	5. Blah, Blah, Blah

**Aww, I'm so disappointed, no one got the title!! It's from the movie Donnie Darko, which is only my favorite film ever. Anyway, I'm probably not going to be posting as often for a while. I've been really busy lately (and out of ideas…)**

**Sweetly Sarcastic: Thanks!**

**Edwards-gurl123: I don't like you. **

**Alwayssmile877: Thanks, but you didn't get the title.**

**A Bit: Good guess, but nope. **

**Kat Laleh: THANK YOU!!! **

**Love me some Edward: I love Mike. And yeah I agree, there are too many fics bashing him. And in most of them I couldn't picture Mike doing that. I mean, he's probably the only normal character in the book! So yeah, he gets to be a main character in my story, and he gets to be a good guy. **

**Edward Lover for Life: Ah, where's Bella. I've been waiting for this one. OKAY! Make sure you all read this because I will not be happy if I have to answer this more than twice. Bella is there, yes. But since this story is from Bethany's point of view, and she's not really friends with Bella, she isn't in the story. And Edward isn't really spending a lot of time with Bethany. It's just… ugh, you'll see!! **

**Elephantian: A) and most importantly. No calling Bethany small. B) Link didn't work. **

**DrkHrtWritr27****: Um… thanks**

**Edward might be a little OOC in this chapter, but if you think about the situation, and how you would react if it happened to you, I'm sure you'll be able to understand. And if not, then forgive me.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Five: Blah, Blah, Blah

_You think the birds are pretty  
and you sleep eight hours a night.  
And I'm fog, out of the city,  
and still you stake it all.  
And trains stop for you and so do the boys,  
when you run your fingers through your hair.  
But resistance is futile.  
_

I lay on my bed listening to my ipod and studying the inside of my eyelids. My usual insomnia is twenty times worse tonight, maybe because of that two hour nap I took earlier today.

It's a damn good thing its Friday, because I don't think I will be able to face Edward Cullen again… ever.

_And I am gonna drink your blood.  
And I am gonna drink your blood.  
And I am gonna drink your blood.  
And I am gonna drink your blood._

I laugh quietly, imagining Edward and Bella in the song. Bella is leaving New York City due to some creepy stalker who is actually more dangerous to her than she thinks. The stalker being Edward, of course. She runs to her train but Edward stops her.

_Just breathe, and mouth "goodbye."  
If you want, I'll give you eternal life.  
Well, not so much life,  
but have you ever seen a good zombie movie?_ _  
Well, like that, but you'll be smarter  
and you'll stay twenty-three._

He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her into a dark, empty… classroom? He leans down, fangs glistening in the moonlight. But Bella isn't Bella anymore. She's me. And he isn't looking at me lovingly like he looks at her. His eyes are almost black and full of lust.

_And I am gonna drink your blood.  
And I just wanna drink your-_

I sit up, now fully awake. Ripping my headphones out of my ears I take a breath, trying to calm my spastic heart. Once I'm calm something hits my window, startling me once again. I take another deep breath. Maybe it's just raining extra hard tonight. Or it could just be the wind blowing a tree branch into my window. My heart rate begins to slow down when another thing hits my window. And another, and another. I pull the blinds back and push the glass to the side. Someone is down there, throwing things against my window at two in the morning.

I risk my neck by leaning half way out my window and moving a tree branch away so I could see who this anonymous thing-thrower is.

"E-E-Edward?" I stammer

"Help me!" He yells back, "Please"

"Help you w-what?" Fear grips my heart, but I hide it by glaring at the milky white figure in the middle of my dark backyard.

"I don't know how to be human!" He cries, showing me his bandaged hand. A cold wind gently sweeps a few curls off of my face, and I can see Edward trembling in his thin sweater.

I sigh. I could just leave that monster out there to freeze, but I'm too nice. "Wait a second, I'm coming down!"

I pull on a sweatshirt and grab his jacket off of the floor. I take the stairs two at a time and arrive at the back door panting.

"Its cold, come in." I huff as he makes his way over to me. I hand him his jacket and he slips it on.

He sits down at my kitchen table, hugging the jacket to his body. I grab two mugs and pour some cream into a sauce pan before remembering: He only drinks blood

"Do you want some hot coco?" I ask. I try to be polite, though I already knew the answer.

He nods.

Okay, so I _didn't_ know the answer. I stare at him for a few seconds, puzzled.

"Don't vampires only drink blood?" I ask, then wait. Searching his green eyes for either amusement or disgust… Hold up…green eyes?

"W-Weren't your eyes brown before?" I ask. The creepiness of the situation hitting me full force. I stir coco powder and sugar into the cream.

"Yes, they do. And yes, they were." He answers, watching me flit about the kitchen like a hummingbird. I search the room for the two mugs I had just put down. And find them in the sink, how they got there, I don't know.

"You put them there when you were staring at me." Edward mutters. Obviously a bit ticked off. I place a steaming mug of coco in front of him.

He holds it in-between his pretty white hands and stares at the liquid inside.

"You saw me make it," I pause to take a sip of my own, "I didn't poison it."

He looks up at me before reluctantly taking a sip. Holding the liquid in his mouth, he thinks about it. His cheeks bulge slightly as he swishes it around in his mouth, making him resemble some kind of albino chipmunk. After a while, he becomes satisfied with the fact that it is perfectly fine to drink, and downs it in one huge gulp.

"Would you like some more?" I ask, shocked. I don't think I have ever seen someone drink hot coco that fast in my life.

He shakes his head and looks at me apologetically. "Was that impolite? I'm sorry, I'm new at this"

I take a sip of my coco and raise am inquiring eyebrow at him.

"New at this...?" I ask, my voice trailing off.

Edward hangs his head, probably so I can't see his now green eyes. "Yeah...uh...Bethany, when you bit me, I...I..."

"You what?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. The warm liquid feels good against throat and settles at the pit of my stomach, making me very sleepy. I yawn. Maybe I should have tried hot coco earlier…

He raises his head again. "I think when you bit me; you turned me into a human."

You would think that a statement like that would wake someone up. Well not me. I continue to slump around the kitchen, rinsing the mugs and sauce pan, placing them in the sink to was later.

"Why didn't you go to Bella?" I yawn again. I'm supprised me that I can still form coherent sentences.

"She's sick. I'm not sure my newly formed immune system could fight anything off." He looks at me for a second, "Could I stay with you? At least until I can learn how to do… well, human things?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever…" I mutter, completely forgetting that I had a nightmare about this kid maybe half an hour ago. "You can stay in my room."

I trudge up the steps; my legs feel like there are small children clinging to them. Once in my bedroom, I close the door. Staring at the bed I mutter.

"You don't mind sharing a bed, do you? It's pretty big."

"Well, I guess its ok with me, but are you sure _you _don't mind?"

I look at him for a second. The only thing I want right now is to go to sleep, and stay asleep for at least eight full hours.

"You know the rules," Once again, it's a damn good thing its Friday, "And you don't snore, right?"

He nods. I throw him the pair of pajama pants I had recently stolen from my older brother.

"Then _go to sleep_."

I strip off my sweatshirt and climb into my bed.

"Bathroom's the third door on the left. Be careful, my moms a light sleeper and the floor creaks" I say, pulling the quilt tight under my chin.

I lay on my side. My body curled around a small stuffed dog, happy as a cupcake in frilly paper. That is, until someone stands by the edge of the bed and stares at me. I scoot myself as far away from 'his side' as I can. His body trembles.

"Do you want a shirt?" I ask, taking a mental picture of the way his bare chest catches the moonlight. I sit up and look at him, wishing he wouldn't stare at me like that.

"Oh, sorry." He blushes and looks away. I have never seen Edward blush, it's very striking.

"You can still read my mind." It's more of a statement than a question. I lie back down and cover my scarcely clad body under the soft purple quilt.

"Yeah, I guess I can."

I roll onto my side again and mutter: "Stay out of my head," before falling asleep.

I wake up, but pretend I'm still asleep for a moment before looking at the clock. The large green numbers show me that its 3:25 in the morning. I sigh and glance at the sleeping boy beside me. But he's not sleeping. His eyes are wide and his body is drenched with sweat. Panic suddenly pulses through my body. Did _I _get him sick?

"Sup?" I croak, placing a cool hand on his forehead. No fever. Good.

He doesn't answer me, but he seems a bit calmer now that I'm awake and talking to him.

"Want me to stay with you until you're asleep?" I suddenly get the feeling that I'm taking care of a small child, not a 17 year old vampire-turned-human.

"Please." He says, moving a little closer to me.

I sit up, recreating the distance between us. I shake my head to wake myself up a little. I watch Edwards body relax a little.

"Its not cheating if we don't kiss…right?" Edward asks, resting his head on my lap.

I sit frozen. Its only not cheating if he doesn't feel anything for me. Which he doesn't.

"Yeah, I guess…" I play with his hair and wait for him to fall asleep. He relaxes further and smiles at me before drifting off.

I can't really blame him for being scared. Feelings of hunger and fatigue would be pretty frightening the first time through. I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks he's falling apart. I adjust his limp body so he's resting on my stomach and make myself more comfortable, but I can't go back to sleep. Not when he needs me this much.

Eventually I too fall asleep. Waking up sporadically throughout the night, I have discovered that Edward mumbles in his sleep. Although, I have yet to decipher entire statements, I do catch a few words or phrases from time to time. Mostly he talks about Bella, but once I swear he called me cute.

The sky gets lighter and I'm already running on empty. I think about getting up to get some caffeine and sugar in me, but remember Edwards's iron grip on my arm.

His body is much warmer than I remember it. He kept me sufficiently warm all night, which even my quilt can't do.

It's a dreary Saturday and the rain pitters against my window. My chest tightens when I think about how I'm going to explain Edward to my mother. 'Hey mom, this is Edward. He's going to be bunking in my room for a while, I hope you don't mind.'


	6. Pace Yourself

**No time to be cute. Gotta go be fancy. **

**Although I will say one thing: I'm so glad all you Bella X Edward lovers are reading this! And FYI, I'm not writing this because I hate Bella and Edward should be with me. This was just an idea that my friend and I came up with when we finished reading Twilight (that friend would be Elephantian and yes this is shameless advertisement.) Eh... That was two things wasn't it?**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter six: Pace yourself

I stare at my clock for a solid five minutes. I contemplate getting up and making breakfast or going for a run, but the boy on my stomach prohibits any movement. Wait... There's a boy on my stomach, a boy who is _not _my boyfriend, or my brother, or even that good of a friend.

"What the hell did I do?" I mumble. Not that I don't remember last night. I actually don't think I will be able to forget that for a while. No, I'm asking what did I do to my relationship with Edward? What kind of chick-flick drama have I created by inviting a boy to stay the night? Who the hell is going to answer all these questions?

Guilt settles in my chest. Not only have I potentially broken the heart of my steady boyfriend for all of a month, but I have done it in a very trashy way. I can always say I was drunk…but that would probably make things worse. Let's just cross our fingers and pray that no one ever finds out… Wait. What am I worried about? It's not like we did anything! But it's also not like anyone is going to believe that…

"You smell tropical..." Edward mumbles, resting his head on my shoulder. His face is uncomfortably close to my neck, I can feel his breath on my skin. He flashes me a dreamy smile, and then becomes unconscious again.

OKAY, Time to get up!

I grab my workout cloths and run to the bathroom, pulling them on as quickly as I can. I run back to my room and gently nudge Edward.

"Just five more minutes…" He grumbles, turning over and pulling a pillow over his head.

"You don't have to get up" I say, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on my socks and shoes. "I was just going to run and I was wondering of you wanted to come."

He removes the pillow from his head and sits up.

"Okay," he says, flashing me a crooked smile, "I'll go running with you."

"GREAT!!" I sing; I haven't had a running buddy since last year. "Wait here, I'll get you a pair of my brother's basketball shorts and a tee-shirt so you don't have to run in your pjs."

Although I wouldn't mind…

It's wonderful having a collage age brother. Epically one who leaves all his clothes in a huge pile on his bed.

"Jackpot!"

A small pile of folded clothes sits in the middle of the barren bedroom: shorts, a shirt, socks and running shoes. I cross my fingers that they fit Edward. I take after my brother in the size department. Which means he's small. Dur.

I toss Edward the clothes and tell him to meet me in the kitchen when he's ready. I shove a banana down my throat walk to the sink, filling a cup with water. I pull a sheet of pills out of their box and peal up the tin foil. I pop one in my mouth and take a sip of water, but it gets stuck in my throat anyways. I hate swallowing pills. I dump the rest of the water out and turn around. Edward is sitting at the table. I smile; he fits perfectly into my brothers clothes! That's going to make this… well this… however long he's going to be living with me a whole lot easier.

----

I begin at a slow pace, jogging lightly and trying to distract myself from the cold wind biting my nose. Edward falls into step with me, smirking at my slow steps. His skin glitters faintly in the sun. Has he been using my shimmering body cream?

"Why are we running so slowly?" he asks.

"I'm pacing myself." I answer, keeping my eyes forward. "Although, I'm sure an immortal like yourself doesn't have to worry about such nonsense."

He picks up his pace, running backwards so he can make faces at me.

"Fine, we'll race."

I stop as does he. We line up along a crack in the sidewalk.

"I'll give you a five second head start." He says, standing ready at the line.

I look at him for a second.

"Okay." I smile, and begin jogging.

Fives short seconds later, Edward is on my tail. He sprints past me, smiling over his shoulder at me. I roll my eyes and keep my pace. Slow and steady, right? About a hundred yards up the road Edward begins to lose momentum, slowing down to a jog. Because of his slow pace, I quickly catch up to him. I stick out my tongue and now it's Edward's turn to stare at the back of someone's head.

We round the last corner and see my house. The two of us now run along side each other in a full sprint. I hear Edward's breath come in short gasps and he begins to lose his footing. He trips in a pothole and is sent sprawling over the asphalt. I laugh and make it to my driveway, putting my hands on my head and trying to breathe. Once I can feel my legs again I run to Edward, who is still face down in the middle of the road.

"I win." I sing, holding a hand out to help him up, but he doesn't take it because he's currently eating tar. He gets up, brushing the stones off of his shirt. Aside from a few scratches on his face, and of course, his pride, he seems unharmed.

"I gave you a head start." He grumbles.

"Yeah, but you still lost to a girl!" I skip to the front door and read the note taped to it. Blah, blah, blah my mom's not home. Blah, blah, blah she won't be back till late tonight, blah. Oh, and Mike called.

"Winner gets first shower!" I sing, already half way up the stairs.

I grab a towel, turn on the radio and step into the shower. Some random song echoes off the walls, I'm sure I know the name of it, but I can't think of it right now. That's going to bother me all day. The hot water feels amazing against my cold body. I wash my hair and stand in the water, not wanting to get out. I shake my hair and reluctantly turn off the water.

Twenty minutes later I walk out of the bathroom, clean and ready for the day. Soft music fills the house, and curiosity gets the best of me. I follow it down to the living room where I find Edward sitting at my piano, playing it with the expertise I would only expect from a virtuoso. Wait, since when do we have a piano?


	7. Out of my League

**Im sorry I havent been updating lately. I have a lot of stuff going on all at the same time, and Im also kinda loosign intrest in the story. I'll try and finish it, just for you all. Chapter seven, enjoy!

* * *

**

Chapter seven: Out of my league

"67 of homes with a piano never use it." Edward says a smile evident in his voice.

"Yes, but 75 of all statistics are made up." I walk over and lean against the baby grand, watching his white fingers fly over the keys, like a true artist. Memories of my brother sitting in the same position crawl out from the deep dark depths of my mind; I vaguely wonder why I forgot he used to play the piano. My hand develops a mind of its own and my fingers play over the scar on my forehead. Oh yeah…

"What did your brother throw you into this thing when you bugged him about it?" Edward asks. I keep forgetting he can read my mind.

"Eh, yeah something like that. What are you playing?" I ask, closing my eyes and letting the music flow over me. I smile at the beautiful melody.

"Just something I wrote."

My jaw drops. Attractive, smart and a composer? Is there anything this guy can't to? I sit on the bench next to him and listen as he finishes. He puts his hands in his lap and turns to me.

"Any requests?" He asks, smiling crookedly. An imperfection that isn't really an imperfection at all.

"Do you know 'Out of my League' by Stephen Speaks?" I ask, swinging my legs. I don't know why I suggested that song. Just hearing it on the _CD_ makes me swoon. I just hope I don't pass out or jump him or something.

He nods and hits the first chord, my stomach floats the same way it always does whenever I hear this song. After about eight measures, Edward does something I don't expect, he begins singing along.

_It's her hair and her eyes today  
that just simply take me away  
and the feeling that I 'm falling further in love  
makes me shiver, but in a good way…_

His singing voice is just as, if not more, beautiful than his speaking voice. I find myself staring at him, my mouth opened wide enough to catch butterflies. Goosebumps form on the back of my neck and arms.

_All the times I have sat and stared  
as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair  
as she purses her lips  
bats her eyes  
and she plays with me  
sitting there, slack-jawed and nothing to say _

He smiles at me and I shut my mouth. A little embarrassed, but I continue to gawk at him.

_Cos I love her with all that I am  
and my voice shakes  
along with my hands _

His voice cracks, but he keeps going, I wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't turned so red. I'm sure he's dreaming of Bella. That poor sick thing, I hope she gets better soon.

_Cos she's all that I see and she's all that I need  
and I 'm out of my league once again _

I wish he were singing this about me… although I'm not really out of his league…Nether is Bella. I don't think _anyone_ is out of Edward Cullen's "league." Does he even have a league? I bet he's above all sports metaphors for love. Okay, time for me to shut up.

_It's a masterful melody  
when she calls out my name to me  
as the world spins around her  
she laughs, rolls her eyes  
and I feel like I 'm falling  
but it's not surprise _

_Cos I love her with all that I am  
and my voice shakes  
along with my hands_

I wish Mike could play piano.

_Cos it's frightening to be  
swimming in this strange sea  
but I 'd rather be here than on land _

_Yes, she's all that I see  
and she's all that I need  
and I 'm out of my league once again_

The last note rings through the room. He turns to me, obviously proud of the way his playing enchanted me. I'm still in awe.

"So?" he teases.

"I…Uh… Um… wow, you're just… just a little bit amazing." I'm having trouble remembering how to speak. He laughs. His eyes travel around the room and fall on the small silver flute, perched precariously on a glass coffee table. He turns back to me, raising an eyebrow.

"You play?" he asks.

I nod mutely, the sound of his angelic voice still resonating in my ears, making me unusually nervous. Maybe no one is out of _his_ league, but he's way out of _everyone's_.

The silence between us is horribly uncomfortable, until Edward's stomach speaks in a muted gurgle. I smile.

"Go take a shower and I'll make you something to eat." I say, getting off the bench and disassembling my flute so I will have an excuse not to play it later.

I hear the water begin to run. I glance at the ceiling of the kitchen, hoping he has enough cense not to use my shampoo. We can't have two people in the same house smelling like orchid infused coconut.

I make Edward one of the few things that I can; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. I look at the white liquid in disgust and it glares back at me. I challenge it to a staring contest, telling the demon-drink that if I lose, which I won't, I will drink an entire glass without complaining. The phone rings suddenly, making me lose my concentration and ultimately, my staring contest. Fuck, I hate my life. I leave the food on the table and answer the phone. Glancing at the milk over my shoulder to make sure it's not plotting anything.

"Hello?"

"Hey!" Mike's happy voice never fails to make me smile.

"What's up?" I ask fiddling with the necklace he gave me.

"Well, I was thinking, since we missed our date the other day. Would you like to go to dinner tonight instead?"

I bite my lip. Of course I want to go. But what would I do with Edward? And what about my mother?

"Oh, Mike. I really want to," I pause. How can I tell him that I'm afraid my mom is going to find out that there's a boy sleeping in my bed and he's not you? Although I'm not all that sure that she would be very happy with me even if it was you.

"But?" his voice falls at least an octave.

"Well, I think I have something tonight, I'm just not so sure what it is. You know my mom; she won't tell me what's going on until the last minute." A reasonable excuse. As wonderful as my mother is, she's a bit scatterbrained.

He buys it! "Well, call me back and tell me what the plan is okay?"

"I will," I smile. Cupping my hand around the receiver I whisper, "And I love you."

"I love you too." He laughs. "Good bye."

The phone clicks and the line goes dead.


	8. Im sorry!

**M'kay girlies, I'm stuck. No. I'm beyond stuck, I'm trapped on flypaper! So if theres anything that you want to happen, or would like to see happen. With the exception of putting Bella in there, I've tried writing for her before, I failed miserably. I already have a basic plot, so like no big ideas, but if you want to see more Mike and Bethany together? Or if you want to hear more of Bethany's musings, or if you had a really good idea for a chapter that you think Id like, Id even be willing to do a gulp romance scene… if you really want! Tell me your ideas!! Someone get me outta' this rut!!**


	9. Unpleasant

**I don't have time to answer you all today, I'm sleepy. Good night!**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter eight: Unpleasant

"You should go." Edward says simply, taking a bite of his sandwich and chewing it thoughtfully.

"And what are you going to do here? Alone?" I reply, pealing the skin off a blood orange. I stare at it, trying to figure out what makes blood oranges so tasty. I think they are some crazy mix between oranges and grape fruit.

"He really wants you to go; he thinks your relationship may be coming to an end."

I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, right." I mutter.

We eat in silence for a few seconds, so my mind begins to wander. I wish I had some music on, it's kind of quiet. Maybe I should turn on the radio. What time is it? Are they taking requests yet? I hope no one requests that song that I can't remember the name of. If I ever meet anyone who enjoys that song after the fifth time of listening to it I will be astounded. Paralyzer, what a funny name for a song… WAIT!! I REMEMBERED ITS NAME!!

"PARALYZER BY FINGER ELEVEN!!" I scream, pounding my fist against the table, knocking a pile of freshly pealed orange rinds to the floor. I _knew_ I knew that song!

Edward looks at me for a second, and then begins to attack his sandwich again.

"It was on the radio this morning…" I mumble quietly. He laughs through his full mouth.

I stare at my orange and wince as my stomach dose a flip I make a face as I try several times to force myself to swallow a bit of orange. I've been nervous and jittery since I woke up this morning. I try not to think about it, but I just know something… unpleasant is going to happen today.

I basically jump out of my chair when the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!"

I try to calm my heart and open the door. There stands a small pale girl with short black hair, pale skin and gold-ish eyes.

"Do I know you?" I ask. The girls sparkling beauty takes me by surprise and makes my normal low self-esteem even lower. She glowers at me and scans the house over my shoulder.

"You must be Bethany. I'm Alice Cullen, Edward's sister. Where is he?"

Well, at least she's polite.

I stare at her, dumbstruck. For a moment I just stand, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"He's in the kitchen."

Alice glides in and I shut the door behind her. I look into the kitchen and watch as the siblings do… well… nothing. I assume there will be a fight sooner or later so I clear my throat, getting cold glares from both parties. I'm at a loss for words for the second time today.

I gesture lamely over my shoulder and mumble, "Uh... I'll be in my room if you need me…"

I stand for a minute, Alice looks as though she could devour Edward at any moment. I take a deep breath and slip into a chair.

"On second thought, I'm afraid if the two of you get in a fight it may cause a lot of damage."

They continue to stare at each other, obviously not wanting my input in their conversation. I stare out the window and try to find somewhere more pleasant than my stress-filled kitchen. Its sunny today and the weather said it was going to be in the mid 50s. The last 'hurrah' before winter, I guess. I could call Mike and we could go rollerblading…

"Alice, your wrong!" Edward bellows. Standing up and making his way toward her. I look up, slightly dazed.

"But I'm not." She says simply, standing her ground as Edward closes in on her. I guess I was wrong; maybe it's Edward that's going to eat Alice.

"No vampire fights on hollowed ground." I rest my head on my hand and examine my nails, suddenly too tired for all of this insanity.

The two Cullens stare at me.

"Isn't it 'hallowed ground'?" Edward asks.

"Yeah, but my house isn't holy and well, I have a basement." I shrug. I'm pretty sure what I'm about to say isn't a great idea, but whatever. "Look you two, I'm really tired, and I really need a nap. So please finish your debate."

Alice takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, "I'll make up an excuse for you, but remember what I said."

She shoots Edward one last glare, which Edward gladly returns, and shows herself out the front door.

My head slips off my hand and onto the table. I groan and then just lay there for a moment.

"Well _she's _pleasant." I mumble into the tabletop.

"She's just trying to protect you." He spits.

I lift my head. Edward looks disgusted and angry. I guess I was wrong again; maybe he wants to eat _me._

"No one is going to eat anyone, and I'm not angry at you."

"Protect me from what?" I ask.

Edward looks at the floor and doesn't answer.

The conversation is interrupted by a large obnoxious yawn from yours truly.

"I'm sorry."

"For what? Go take your nap, Bethany."

I smile and stretch. "Can't" I giggle.

"But, why not? You just said-"

"Well, there's so much tension here that I'm afraid if I fall asleep now I will wake up to a third world war. I'm just going to sit on the couch and rot, you can join me if you want."

I surf through the channels, then squeal like a teenage girl at a Backstreet Boys concert when I see House is on. Edward sits next to me and gives me a quizzical look, but I just shush him and turn back to the show.

The phone rings and I open my eyes. I don't remember falling asleep, but I also don't remember what strange disease the patient in House was dieing of today. The phone rings again and I don't move. Edward picks up.

"Hello... Yeah, she's taking a nap, can I take a message?" Edward pauses, I open my eyes and he looks at me, pleading.

"Who is this? Well… Um… This is Bethany's brother…"

"Kyle" I mutter.

"Kyle!" Edward smiles, "Tell her you two need to talk? Okay, I'll tell her you called… Yeah, bye." His smile is gone and is replaced with downcast eyes and an uncertain frown.

"It was Mike." He says

"I figured." I turn on my side and look at him. I'm not entirely sure what he's so upset about. Maybe he loves me and wants me to break up with Mike so we can run away together and buy a cottage in Marquette Michigan and we can have a family and grow old together and watch the deer graze in our backyard-

"Well I see your back to normal or, normal for you at least." Edward chuckles

Dramatic music chimes from whatever soap happens to be showing and I begin channel surfing again. The TV gods must love me today because there, on channel 130, is the most amazing movie ever created: Pirates of the Caribbean. Edward opens his mouth to say something but I shush him again and watch.

Again, I don't remember falling asleep. I also don't remember being close enough to Edward to end up falling asleep on him. He taps me on the shoulder and smiles down at me. I sit up so fast that our heads knock painfully together, leaving a large ugly red spot on my forehead and his chin.

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!!!!!" I gasp my hands flying to the red spot on my forehead. I'm sure it's very attractive.

"You should call Mike back," Edward mumbles, rotating his jaw "He said to call him as soon as you woke up."

I nod and pick up the phone. Unknown anxiety bubbling in the pit of my stomach. I gulp and wait for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mike! It's Bethany, what's up?"

"Look, Bethany… You're amazing and beautiful and I'm really lucky to be with you…"

I can see where this is going.

"But…?" If he stalls or chickens I will break something.

"But" He pauses and we both take a deep breath, "Ive been doing a lot of thinking lately."

Oh, well, I hope you remembered to stretch before, Mikey.

"And well… I think we should take a little break, you know, and see other people?"

"Yeah, okay…" I chock, my throat is closing up and my breaths are beginning to come in short gasps.

"So, see you later I guess?" Oh, _now _Mike feels bad.

"Yeah, okay."

I hang up the phone and compose myself. Then turn to Edward and try not to cry.

"Mike Just broke up with me so I will be in my room for the next few days if you need me."

I make my way to the stairs, then stop and turn back to him.

"Don't need me."


	10. Barely Even Friends

**Short chapter I should really be working on an essay but I really don't want to do it. I'm really sorry if recent chapters haven't been so good, I feel like this story is slowly going down the drain.**

**derangedfangirl****: Thanks!!**

**lily013****: I'm glad you like it! **

**AuburnAlice****: Yeah, the last line is kind of sad, you're all so anxious!! Wait for the end of the story!! Geez!**

**alwayssmile877****: Make a guess, I want to see what some of the "possibilities" are!!**

**Sweetly Sarcastic****: Mike has always seemed like one of those "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but…" guys. At least he didn't do it in a text message! Anyway, you'll see!!!**

**Enjoy! **

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Chapter nine: Barely Even Friends

I go though the motions of getting ready for bed. Mike was only my second boyfriend, but I still loved him, probably a lot more than I should have.

I slam my door behind me and fall face first into my bed, feathers from my old down quilt fluttering around me. Tears begin spilling from my eyes, but I don't care about being strong anymore. If Edward knows what's best for him he'd stay as far away from me as he can for now, and that includes my mind. After a few hours I eventually stop crying and crawl under the blankets. I pull myself into a ball and rub my cold arms trying to get some heat back in my body. My mind is blank for the first time in a while and I feel myself drifting away. Then I twitch. One huge full-body spasm and I'm awake. I sit up and throw the blankets off of me, punch my pillow and scream as loud as I can. Then start to cry again. God, I'm hopeless.

My door opens slowly and Edward sticks his head in. I swallow the giant knot in my throat and glare at him. I hope he doesn't make me talk, because if he does I'll loose it.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

I continue to glare at him.

"It's past midnight. I think you should be getting to sleep" He sits on the side of the bed and holds out a large white mug with a big heart in the center. I glare at him harder.

"Its hot chocolate." He holds it closer to me and I take the mug from him, and hold it between my frozen hands. I think about yelling at him for being in my room, then stop. I can't yell at him. He made me hot coco with marshmallows.

My anger fades, and I place the mug on my night stand. I look up at Edwards's kind smiling face and my stomach falls through two floors to the sump pump in the basement. Water begins spilling from my eyes again and I throw myself into Edwards chest. He wraps his arms around and whispers softly in my ear. Once I finally calm down and Edwards's shirt is significantly wet I sit up, looking at my hands in my lap.

"I'm sorry" I hiccup

"For what?" he chuckles, "If you weren't hysteric right now, Id have to find both your and Bella's sanity."

I sniff and smile a bit, before falling back onto my bed and getting under the covers. Edward gets up, but I grab his hand.

"Stay with me." I plead.

He smiles and makes me release my death grip, closing my door and turning off the light. He lays down next to me and lightly brushes away my tears with his thumb. I sniff and look at him, puzzled. Is he trying to get some ass because I'm on the rebound or something? Isn't it a little too early to move in for the kill?

Edward just laughs quietly and flicks one last tear away whispering; "Get some sleep." He kisses my forehead and makes his way to my computer. My heart flutters madly in my chest and I try to suppress the urge to jump him.

"Now that's just mean." I mutter. Edward stares at me for a second, and then sits on the edge of the bed again.

"What?"

"Playing with me like that," I roll over and look at him. His green eyes full of concentration, trying to decipher the incoherent musings of my overtired brain, "Anyway, you kissed me, any kiss counts, you are now officially cheating on Bella."

"What? I'm not! I'm trying to make you feel better! Mike just broke up with you!" I guess I hit a sour spot whit him, because I don't think he'd have mentioned that otherwise. I screw up my face in a futile attempt to keep myself from crying. I'm sorry, I know I've been crying a lot, but come on, you would too.

"That's hitting below the belt." I sniff, wiping at a tear, "I suggest you sleep on the couch tonight and think about what you did."


	11. Keep Moving

**A day in the life of PrototypicalNonconformist:**

**1.Wake up with a headache**

**2.Go to summer school**

**3.Health (Boring)  
a. Sleep**

**4.Lifetime individual sports (Phys. Ed.)  
a. Tears a muscle  
b. gets hit in the head with a soccer ball  
c. Gets insulted  
d. Is ignored by her current love interest**

**5.Go home and be bored  
a. Try to write more of bitten but fail miserably**

**6.Sleep**

**7.Repeat**

**Anyway, sorry for not updating for so long. I'm trying really hard not to loose intrest, but again this would be my first ever multi-chapter fic, so its kinda hard! Sorry! I hope this chapter makes up for it eventhough its not very long. I really do love you all though!**

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Chapter ten: Keep Moving

My depression doesn't usually last too long, so I was pretty much back to normal, what ever that may be, after a few days. I don't remember much of what happened at school during that time, other than the fact that my art won me a $150 scholarship to an art camp! Yes! Edward and I celebrated a little, he took me out to Port Angeles and suffered had to try on just about everything in a little shop. Then we went out to dinner, but the stress of everything had us home by nine.

"Edwardddd" I whine. We are currently sitting side by side on my lawn, I sport four bags of ice on my knees and ankles and Edward is nibbling at the corner of a PB&J sandwich. The one, may I add that I slaved over through my puffy painful legs and even cut the crusts off of.

"Yes?"

"Dose Mike really want me back? Does he really _really _regret breaking up with me?"

Edward lets out a huge sigh and nods.

"I promise you, he has not changed his mind that drastically since three minutes ago."

"Well, he deserves it," I giggle. "Now hes going to have to deal with that Jessica girl again. Haha, sucks to be Mike!"

I have probably asked poor Edward that question at least a hundred times since he told me he was listening to Mikes thoughts last night. I thought he was just bugging me, as if him being the reason mike broke up with me in the first place wasn't bad enough

Which brings us to my lawn. The weather is warm and sunny and apparently just how Edward likes it. Waking up this morning to unexplainable stiffness and joint pain, I wasn't up for any racing. So Edward, being the gentleman that he is, made four bags of ice andtold me he wanted to sit outside with me.

"So what's wrong with your legs?" He asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

I shrug.

"You don't know?" He laughs, "Then why do you think ice would help?"

"No, I know," I smile, "but if I told you I'd have to kill you."

I lie back on the lawn and close my eyes. But then sit up again, I don't want a bug crawling on me or anything. A light breeze blows my hair around and I turn against it, which happens to be Edward's direction.

"You see that cloud up there?" I ask, waving my hand lazily in its direction.

"That little wispy one." Edward confirms.

"Yeah, it reminds me of Mr.K." Edward gives me a look. Though I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to say, "No seriously, just watch as the top of it slowly disappears, much like his mental health."

"You are a very strange girl." Edward notes, stretching out on the ground and soaking up the rays of the sun.

"Not strange," I say, "Just an artist, you have to be odd if you are going to win a $150 scholarship."

Edward sits up and looks at me, completely confused.

"Wait… What?" He asks, still trying to wrap his head around what I just said.

"Van Goh cut off his ear and sent it to his lover."

We fall silent again and watch as storm clouds begin to interrupt our sunny day. We sit through the light drizzle, but it soon gets too cold.

"We should go inside." He says. He stands and holds out his pale slender hand to me.

I grab his hands and he pulls me up, the bags that were previously filled with ice fell to the ground with a "thud." I stagger into the living room and collapse onto the couch. After sitting around and doing nothing all day I feel like I haven't slept for a month.

"What are you doing?" Edward asks, sitting next to me and turning on the television.

"Sleeping." I answer simply, too tired to think of anything cute or witty to say.

"How can you be tired? You took a nap an hour ago."

I pretend I'm asleep so I don't have to respond.

We hear the garage door and Edward flies up the stairs into my room. I continue to "sleep" on the couch and cringe at my mothers loud, obnoxious "HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

She peaks her head into the living room and sees me on the sofa. Smiling to her self she turns off the T.V. and kisses me on the forehead. I moan and look at her.

"Was I asleep?" I ask. Trying my hardest to look like I just woke up.

You'd think that someone who has been with you your entire life would know when your acting, but not my mother. She just smiles and nods.

"I'll go to my room and take a nap there then. Good night." I stretch and make my way sluggishly up the stairs.

I open the door and find Edward laying on my bed and reading my current addiction: Harry Potter. He stares at me intently as I enter the room.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I ask, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed.

"What do you have?" He asks.

"What?"

"I know you're sick."

Shit.


	12. Tell me Everything

**Random reader: Prototypical Nonconformist! Where have you been?!**

**PN: Well, random reader. I was at band camp for the last week. And let me tell you, it was...very intresting.**

**Random reader:Band camp? Wow, your a dork.**

**PN: yeah, I know...**

**Okay heres chapter 12. Enjoy!**

**(A/N I don't have the disease described in this chapter. So if I get things wrong, Im sorry. Bethany was origonally going to have something else wrong with her so it was a bit of a stretch to put this one in. just go with it. Borwnie points for those who know where I got the idea from.)**

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Chapter twelve: Tell Me Everything

"You know I'm sick…" I repeat, trying my hardest to think of a way to change the subject without thinking about my… condition. If I don't think about it, he won't figure it out.

"Yes. Now it's really not that hard to tell me what you have." he says, annoyed now.

"Uh, yeah it is. I obviously kept it from you for a reason." I try to think of a way to explain myself. He probably assumes it's an STD or something now. Which its not. I'm not ashamed of my illness. It's just that I've kept it from those who don't need to know for so long, it'd be weird to let someone else in on it _now._

He looks at me calmly and takes my hand.

"Please tell me," He whispers, obviously trying to romance it out of me, "maybe I can help. I promise it won't change what I think of you."

I look at him and sigh. He knows I'm a sap, and he knows how to break me. I just wish he'd let me win every once and a while.

"Okay, okay. But um… don't ask any questions till I'm done. Okay?"

He nods, so I take a big breath and begin.

"I have Systemic lupus. I was diagnosed with it when I was 13. It's a chronic autoimmune disease, which means my immune system is attacking my body and there's no way to cure it. Its hereditary so don't worry about getting it form me. Plus you're a vampire; I don't even think you _have_ an immune system. Anyway, I got it from my grandparents on my mother's side. I haven't let anyone know I have it because I don't want people to think I can't do things, or feel like they have to take care of me. The only people who get to know have to be part of my family, my doctor, or someone official like a teacher or something. None of my friends know I have it. Mike doesn't even know I have it."

Edward smiles at that. Yay him, now he can go gloat about how he knows me better than Mike.

"The reason I could keep it a secrete for so long is because I haven't had a flare in over a year, but my good luck streak seems to be coming to an end. A flare is just when I get the symptoms. Its usually chest pain, joint pain, a fever, extreme fatigue, anemia (few red blood cells, so I'm not very tasty), when I get cold or stressed I turn blue (it's really pretty disgusting,) a really gross rash which, if I'm really lucky will be on my face, sometimes I get depressed, but its nothing to worry about. Just prepare for me to be very unhappy for a while. Flares usually come after being in the sun for along time or being really stressed. And, although I like having you here, you (and Mike, of course) may be the reason for this particular flare. They can last for any amount of time. I have to take a lot of pills and I may have to go to the doctor a lot now. Annnnnd…uh… I think that's about it. Any questions?"

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asks. I look down and notice that he's still holding my hands. So I pull them away and fold them in my lap.

"Well you don't have to leave if that's what you're asking. But I guess you should just be supportive. I may get really depressed, and I'll probably become more of an attention whore than usual. Just bear with me and be a friend. We may not be able to do as much because I'll be tired, speaking of which," I yawn, "I really do want to take a nap."

I lie down and shimmy under the blankets. He lies next to me and stares at me like he is trying to get me to think something so he doesn't have to ask. I meet his intense green gaze and try really hard to comply, but after a while I give up.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" he asks, "Tell me the _real _reason."

I roll my eyes and turn on my side to face him.

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to get the whole 'oh poor you, your sick' thing. And my doctor told me that people may have trouble understanding that I'm sick and there isn't anything anyone can do to fix me. There was no dramatic reason behind it. I just don't want to be looked at any differently."

He pauses for a second and looks at the ceiling then asks: "Have you ever considered suicide as a way out?"

This question surprises me for some reason. I don't know what kind of answer he wants or where to start. I never expect to get into a gut spilling, get-to-know-each-other-better type of conversation with Edward Cullen. I have to think about it for a second, making sure I'm being honest, what I came up with surprised me more than the question itself.

"No." I say simply, "I would never do such a thing to my family." He looks at me with a weird expression, he stays as still as a statue for a moment and then hugs me.

"I admire you." He says.

"Why?" I ask.

"You're much stronger than me."

I have no idea what to do or day so I sit there, limp as a rag doll. To lazy to say anything and to comfortable to move.

"I want to know more about you." He says after a while, holding my shoulders to look into my eyes. That weird expression still on his face.

I shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Er… What do you want to know?"

"When were you first diagnosed?"

"After being in and out of the hospital for a few years." I close my eyes and try to

remember the scene, "I think your dad was one of my many doctors."

"Did he diagnose you?" Edward let go of me so I lay back down. He looks down at me, green eyes smoldering.

"No, I think he told me I had some kind of infection or something. No one really knew what I had. Lupus is very hard to diagnose." I smile.

"What got you into the hospital the first time?" His eyes are full or worry and curiosity. He touches me gently as though he's afraid I'm going to shatter under his fingers. I wish I could say something to calm him down.

"Just for the record, even though I'm having a flare it doesn't mean I am any more fragile, weak or at all different that I was before. Lupus isn't deadly."

I think…

That doesn't seem to make him feel any better. I smile at him and make a stupid face trying to show him that I'm not any different than before. That also doesn't seem to make him feel any better. May as well answer his question now.

"Okay! The first time I was in the hospital…Well that must have been when I was 11. I had a 105 degree fever and some flue symptoms. They got my fever down pretty quickly but I sick for a while, I just kept getting worse and they couldn't figure it out. Someone actually suggested Lupus after a while, but my doctor got mad and just kept saying 'You're wrong! Its not Lupus!' He was a bit of a nut case. Kinda reminded me of Dr. House. Anyway, they finally found some pills that seemed to help and sent me home. I was there for a few weeks. It was really obnoxious."

He continues to question me. Eventually giving up on my lupus and asking me about my personal life. To my surprise my mother only came in to check on me once. Her loud, pounding footsteps gave us a good ten minute warning to her arrival. We talk until late and I can barely keep my eyes opened. Both of us too tired to move. So, although it may not be the best idea, we fall asleep in each others arms.


End file.
